Muskingum County, Ohio
A shallow water table limits basements on 39% of Muskingum County's mapped land, a higher share than 57% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 17%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 41 flood losses here since 2016, 41% of them in buildings with basements. 61% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1972.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Muskingum County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 17.0% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 38.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 84.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 3.3% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 12.5% |
| Mapped soil | 430,611 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Westmoreland | 14% | 0% |
| Coshocton | 10% | 98% |
| Berks | 6% | under 1% |
| Guernsey | 5% | n/a |
| Gilpin | 5% | under 1% |
| Morristown | 4% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas OH119 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 3.3% by land area here, and 13% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 17% of the mapped land.
On 39% of Muskingum County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 46.77 in, 5.13 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.64 in.
USDA rates 84% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. No part of the county was in drought in the last 52 weeks.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
41 flood losses since 2016, $993,811 paid. The worst year was 2026, with 10. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 41% basements, 6% slabs, 47% crawl spaces, 6% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 24 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 to date | 10 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.64 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 46.77 in (+5.13) |
| 2025 | 38.74 in (-2.90) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2018: 56.26 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1930: 21.03 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at ZANESVILLE MUNI AP (3 mi away) | 6.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 38,357 |
| Median year built | 1972 |
| Built before 1980 | 61% |
| Built 2000 or later | 17% |
| Owner-occupied | 68% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $182,200 |
| Single-family detached | 74% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Cities in Muskingum County
| City | Expansive clay | High water table | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adamsville | 2% | 82% | 95 |
| Dresden | 6% | 55% | 749 |
| Frazeysburg | 4% | 22% | 616 |
| Fultonham | 0% | 51% | 51 |
| New Concord | 12% | 43% | 761 |
| Norwich | 36% | 56% | 46 |
| Philo | 6% | 12% | 336 |
| South Zanesville | 7% | 26% | 1,033 |
| Zanesville | 3% | 18% | 12,236 |
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County, OH | 22 mi | 13% | 42% |
| Coshocton County, OH | 23 mi | 3% | 46% |
| Morgan County, OH | 24 mi | 35% | 23% |
| Guernsey County, OH | 24 mi | 23% | 34% |
| Noble County, OH | 29 mi | 31% | 18% |
| Licking County, OH | 30 mi | 1% | 69% |
| Fairfield County, OH | 39 mi | 5% | 60% |
| Knox County, OH | 39 mi | under 1% | 65% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status